A Houston judge says one of her colleagues and the newly elected district attorney are working to close Harris County's mental health court less than three months after its official dedication.

State District Judge Jan Krocker released a statement saying Belinda Hill, the head administrative judge, has torpedoed $500,000 in funding offered by Pat Lykos, the lame duck district attorney, out of the office's discretionary account.

Without the money, Krocker said, the court that took her more than three years to create and oversees will close Jan. 31. The court handles felony cases of defendants diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and severe depression who cycle in and out of the criminal justice system. It started putting mentally ill defendants on probation instead of sending them to jail in May.

"It was a shock to learn from Judge Hill last week that she did not wish to accept this grant," Krocker said.

Instead of signing off on the memo of understanding that the District Attorney's Office needs to dole out the money, Krocker said, Hill plans to create a committee to revamp how the courts allocate funds for mental health and let incoming District Attorney Mike Anderson decide where the money goes after he takes office Jan. 1.

"This is not good news for the mental health court," Krocker said. "Although Mike Anderson has publicly supported the mental health court, he worked behind the scenes to keep it from opening."

Anderson, Hill denials

Krocker's assertion was jarring because Hill confirmed Tuesday that she will leave the bench in the new year to work as Anderson's first assistant.

However, Anderson and Hill denied they are trying to close the court, one of several specialty dockets in the criminal courthouse that includes drug courts, a veteran's court and a different mental health court.

"I did not kill this deal," Hill said about the money offered by Lykos.

She said the District Attorney's Office decided to not offer the money, but not because of her. "I know there was some interest in it, but my understanding was that, as of Friday, they decided to not do that and let the next administration address that issue," Hill said.

Lykos could not be reached late Tuesday to answer why the offer was apparently revoked.

Hill said she would like to create a single committee before she leaves the bench to oversee the specialty courts to combine resources (like grant writers) and ensure that defendants are in the right court for their needs.

"We're trying to do things in a more collaborative way with all of our specialty courts," Hill said. "It's just makes sense for us to have a committee to work smarter.

Anderson also said he supports Krocker's court and is not trying to close it.

"I have made it known that I am in favor of funding the specialty courts," he said. "Three weeks from now, I'll be in a position to look at things and help them out, not just mental health courts, but drug courts and veteran's courts."

He said he was aware that judges and court administrators are considering a move toward Hill's vision of an oversight committee, but did not know details.

"I want to listen to whatever anybody's got to say about funding drug courts and mental health courts and veteran's courts," Anderson said. "They're good things. I think they make a difference."

Decision 'unfair'

Krocker, however, blamed Hill for the politics behind the money drying up for the court.

"Maneuvering the landscape of judicial politics is always a challenge, but Judge Hill's decision last week came out of the blue," she said. "Her decision is unfair to the court and its outstanding staff and unfair to the community. But it is a tragedy for the probationers who came into the court believing they would have help in locating housing, mental health treatment and counseling services, and substance abuse treatment."